Spartacus

How this film uses it

Spartacus starts as a slave bought for a gladiator school and becomes the leader who frees others. Rome crushes the uprising in the end. His death still matters, because it gives the survivors and his son a chance at something else.

Where to see it

The final scenes. Spartacus is dying, and Varinia shows him his son, who is now free.

How this film uses it

The captured rebels are told they can be spared if they hand over Spartacus. Antoninus says he is Spartacus, then the others say it too. One name becomes everyone's, and the Romans cannot pick him out.

Where to see it

The 'I'm Spartacus' scene. After the battle, the prisoners stand up one after another and claim the name, and all are sentenced to crucifixion.

How this film uses it

The film was shot in Super Technirama 70, a large film format, and then blown up to 70mm. The image is sharp and wide enough to hold huge crowds. Russell Metty won an Academy Award for the photography.

Where to see it

The battle scenes. They were filmed in Spain, and large crowds fill the wide frame.

How this film uses it

Alex North wrote the score using unusual instruments, including the ondioline, an early electronic instrument. The music sounds a little strange for an ancient setting, so Rome feels less like a museum piece.

Where to see it

The score throughout the film. The unusual instruments underline both the gladiator school and the march of the rebel army.